MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. The referendum on secession from the European Union, underway in Britain, is the country’s internal affair, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing Thursday.

"This is a purely intra-British and intra-EU problem. It is evident that the British people should make a difficult, fateful choice, its decision will surely seriously affect the future of Great Britain and the EU on the whole," Zakharova said.

At that, really respecting the choice of the people of this or that country, we proceed from the fact that the choice should take place without any pressure, all the more so from outside," she continued.

"So we are respectfully watching the Britons holding this important referendum," Zakharova said. "When its results are summed up, it will be possible to make relevant assessments.".